The Foundation delivers Human Rights Workshop in the Central Province in cooperation with the Judges’ Institute of Sri Lanka
From 19-20 October 2019, the Max Planck Foundation conducted a workshop in Kandy, Central Province of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Judges’ Institute of Sri Lanka. The workshop was attended by 25 Judges of the District, Magistrate and High Courts.
The workshop commenced with a highly engaging session by Supreme Court Justice, Hon Shiranee Tilakawardane, on the role of the judiciary to advance human rights in Sri Lanka. This was followed by presentations made by the Foundation on various aspects of international human rights law with a focus on civil and political rights.
The programme covered a wide spectrum of civil and political rights, including fair trial rights and qualified rights, as well as the prohibition on torture and enforced disappearances. The trainers also addressed international law pertaining to qualified rights and non-discrimination, gender equality, children’s rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities. The Judges discussed these rights at both the international, national and local level, with a particular focus on cutting edge issues. Throughout the sessions, the Judges considered case studies and came up with innovative ways to ensure access to justice.
The Director of the Judges’ Institute of Sri Lanka and Supreme Court Justice, Hon L.T.B. Dehidenya, gave closing remarks at the workshop, commending the judges for their excellent engagement in the programme.
This workshop is the second of six to be held in partnership with the Judges’ Institute of Sri Lanka at the provincial level as part of the German Federal Foreign Office funded project, “Capacity Building for Judges and Lawyers in Sri Lanka“. The next workshop is due to take place in the North Central Province on 26-27 October 2019.